The invention relates to a front end loader, to a tractor having a front end loader, and to a method for attaching a front end loader.
Conventional front end loaders have a pair of booms pivotally secured at their rearward ends to the tractor and pivotally secured at their forward ends to an attachment. Typical attachments used on front end loaders include buckets, clam shells, plow, fork lift, bale spear, etc. Hydraulic cylinders are usually pivotally connected to the rearward end of the attachment. Exemplary front end loaders are described by U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,665 to Westendorf; U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,856 to Westendorf; U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,811 to Langenfeld et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,962 to Westendorf; U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,692 to Langenfeld et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,974 to Langenfeld et al.
A front end loader is provided according to the invention. The front end loader has a tower, a tower subframe, a knee, a loader arm, a front arm, a lift cylinder, and an attachment cylinder. The tower has a first tower end and a second tower end. The second tower end includes a shoe area for covering and attaching to a shoe-receiving region provided on a first bracket assembly attached to tractor. The tower subframe has a first tower subframe end and a second tower subframe end. The first tower subframe end is attached to the tower, and the second tower subframe end is constructed for attachment to a second bracket assembly attached to a tractor. The knee has a first knee rotation axis and a second knee rotation axis. The loader arm has a first loader arm end and a second loader arm end. The first loader arm end is rotatably attached to the first tower end of the tower. The second loader arm end is attached to the knee. The front arm has a first front arm end and a second front arm end. The first front arm end is attached to the knee. The second front arm end is rotatably connectable to an attachment. The lift cylinder has a first lift cylinder end and second lift cylinder end. The first lift cylinder end is rotatably connected to the second tower end of the tower. The second lift cylinder end is attached to the first knee rotation axis of the knee. The attachment cylinder has a first attachment cylinder end and a second attachment cylinder end. The first attachment cylinder end is attached to the second knee rotation axis of the knee, and the second attachment cylinder end is rotatably connectable to an attachment.
A tractor is provided according to the invention. The tractor includes the front end loader having the second tower end attached to the first bracket assembly, and the second tower subframe end attached to the second bracket assembly. The first bracket assembly and the second bracket assembly are attached to the tractor.
A method for attaching a front end loader to a tractor is provided according to the invention. The method includes a step of driving a tractor into a stationary front end loader, and then attaching the second tower end to the first bracket assembly, and attaching the second tower subframe end to the second bracket assembly.